Ronald O. Tokheim

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Ronald Ole Tokheim, 78, of rural Dell Rapids died Monday, August 10, 2015 at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls after a brief illness.

Funeral services will be held at First Lutheran Church, Colton at 10:30 AM Saturday, August 15, 2015. Burial will be in the Minnehaha Cemetery, rural Colton. Visitation will be from 5-7:00 PM Friday at the Minnehaha Funeral Home, Colton.

Ronald was born to parents Joseph and Agnes (Peterson) Tokheim at home on the family homestead on October 19, 1936. He grew up on the family farm and graduated from Lyons High School. After graduation he joined the South Dakota National Guard and worked five years in bridge construction, he then worked as an electronic technician in the communicators-navigation shop for 30 years, retiring December 31, 1991. At the time of his retirement, he had 37 years, 4 months and 18 days as a member, retiring at the rank of Master Sergeant. While in the Guard he was fortunate to take part in many deployments overseas, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, and 8 trips to the Panama Canal Zone, the last trip being when Manuel Noriega was captured. Also very exciting was when he in was Aviano, Italy a very serious earthquake hit. As a life member of NGNCOA, he took part in many parades and military functions. In 1976, the Bi-Centennial Year, as Color Guard, led the Monroe High School Band in Philadelphia on July 3rd and in Washington, DC on July 4th.

He was a life member of First Lutheran Church, a sexton of Minnehaha Cemetery, member of the Colton Lions Club, Colton American Legion, and Siouxland Collectors-Minneapolis Moline Antique Tractor Club.

Ron also farmed from 1968 until 2007 and raised cattle from 1973 to 2007. After his retirement he bought an Airstream Trailer and went down to Apache Junction, Arizona to visit a cousin, he liked it so well ,that he started spending his winters there. Life really changed in 2005, that’s when he met his wonderful wife Ruth. She was a city girl, raised in Texas and spent 37 years in Alaska. He asked her to visit his farm in South Dakota and they were married October 8, 2005 and continued to live on the Tokheim Homestead in the summer and Apache Junction in the winter. They then enjoyed traveling in their motorhome to many tractor shows in various states and visiting Alaska.

Grateful for having shared his life are his wife, Ruth, sisters, Marilyn (Gene) Graber, Freeman; Mildred Jorgenson, Dell Rapids; Verla (Ron) Thompson, Colton; a brother Alton (Delores) Tokheim, Dell Rapids; Ruth's son, Scott Phillips, Soldotna, Alsaka and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother in law, Norman Jorgenson and many aunts and uncles